His Boots are Made for Walking
by SourLemonSkittles
Summary: -Western AU- Castiel's life is good. He's rich and sheltered, and his father is the sheriff. Then a cowboy by the name of Dean Winchester rides into town- and he's the personification of everything that Castiel's father warned him about. So why can't Cas stay away from the trouble-making boy with green eyes? He's smart, and he never disobeys his father. Until now.
1. How Men Treat Ladies

_Alright, so I got this idea from an awesome picture. It's the cover art, dears. Just so y'know. It was drawn by emmydrawsthings on deviantart- also known as radalecki on tumblr. __C:  
_

_This is pretty much a (gay)western AU where Cas is a sheltered, rich, and proper Sherriff's son, and Dean is the type of hooligan cowboy Cas's father always told him to stay away from._

_I'm saying it's set in the early 1900s, like most western films…but y'know. I don't know much about history, so if I'm wrong, tell me. I'll fix whatever mistakes I make. /D_

_This is rated M for cussing/future smut. Just so you're all warned. However, I'll point those chapters out, and let anyone who's still sex-shy skip around them. Promise!_

_**Disclaimer**: Supernatural/Dean/Castiel/etc. are not mine, and they never will be. _

**_And finally, I want to thank my lovely beta, Maestus. She is fantastic and she has managed to catch stuff I would never notice. She's amazing, you guys. Seriously. Check her out. _**

* * *

Castiel didn't look up as his sister (he knew it was his sister because of the soft, but determined sound her footfalls made) opened the door to his bedroom. He didn't look up as she pulled the wooden chair across from him back, then scooted forward. He also didn't look up when he heard her give an impatient huff, though he supposed he probably should have. However, in his lifetime, he had found that if you ignored something you didn't want around, it generally went away.

It wasn't like he didn't want his sister around- he loved his sister, as he did all of his siblings. But his sister had a habit of asking him to do things that would get him in trouble, and he didn't like being in trouble with their dad. He preferred to do what he was told, then wait for his next orders. He liked to think of himself as his father's soldier- he took commands, followed them through, then went back to his barracks. The end.

His father's commands for today were studying, schoolwork, reading a passage of the bible, and meeting with his tutor.

"Castiel, pay attention to me. Right. Now." She said, her tone demanding and sharp. He had no choice but to stop what he was doing (he had been studying a book his tutor had given him, so he could one-up the short, chubby man next time he had a lesson). He looked up at her, face blank, as he liked to keep it.

"You're going out in town with me tonight. Wear something fancy, but not overly fancy. Like that cute waistcoat you never want to wear." She raised her eyebrows, as if challenging him to defy her.

"Anna, I have things to do. I still need to finish my schoolwork, and read a bible passage. Plus, my tutor hasn't come yet. I can't just skip; he'll tell dad." He said this blankly, like it was a matter of fact, no arguments or way around it. He happened to do that a lot. His brothers would make fun of him for his no-nonsense, no-smiles, bland attitude towards everything, but he just found it to be proficient.

"I already sent a message to the tutor, telling him you're sick, and you can't have class today. And dad won't know, if no one tells. So you're going." She smiled, knowing she had one. Castiel knew it too, so he simply nodded and looked back down. He didn't look back up until he heard the 'click' of the door sliding shut.

Most brothers would have argued and refused- at least, his brothers always did. But since Anna was older than him, he felt the need to do what she asked as well. He never argued or complained. He just did as he was asked and got on with his life.

The fact of the matter was, even if he did want to argue, he couldn't. She didn't really ask you to do something. She told you to do something. It was never a question, or a proposition. It was a statement. Sure, he could give his reasons why he couldn't do something, but she was a step ahead of him, most of the time.

He sighed, closing his book. The sun was setting in the distance, and he realized he didn't have much time to get ready._Did you manage to cut telling me close enough, Anna?_He snarked to himself. He didn't necessarily mind, though. He was ready to adapt to the situation.

He went through his closet, picking out the waistcoat his sister was talking about- it was navy blue, with coattails that hung down to the back of his knees. It opened widely at the top, and had two pockets at the bottom. He had never worn it before now- he never really liked it. He found it to be too stuffy. But he supposed he would wear it, if Anna liked it.

He pulled a white shirt on under it, buttoning all but the top two. The sleeves were a bit too long, and it was hot, so he rolled them up to his elbows. Slowly, he threaded a silky blue ribbon through the collar, tying it in a knot and smoothing it out. He grabbed a pair of pinstripe pants that matched the rest of his ensemble, and a pair of white British clogs.

They were leather, with a wooden sole and heel that were protected by plastic bottoms. It was his favorite pair of shoes- he kept them clean and took care of them as if they were his children. His father had bought them for him in Lancashire, England a few years ago. He had never let anything happen to them since then. He bent down and tied them, the white laces slipping into position snugly. He looked into the old mirror on the back of his dresser's door. He had to admit- he looked pretty good. And those shoes gave him an extra couple of inches, which he liked.

Cas smoothed down his unruly hair the best he could. Little black pieces stuck up here and there, but it looked decent, and that was as close to perfect as he could get. He ran fingers over the stubble on his face. He didn't need to shave it just yet, but he would soon. That was a problem for another day.

Finally, he grabbed a pocket watch and stuck it in one pocket, fastening the t-bar chain onto his waistcoat, and made a promise to be home by ten. He closed the wardrobe and exited his room, the tap-tap of the plastic on his shoes echoing through the top part of the house. Though, house wasn't the best word for it. It was more of a mansion than anything- his mother had inherited it from her father, who was a rich old man. Therefore, they were a rich family. Castiel didn't really think it made sense, since there were so many children in his family, which meant they should have less money…but he never inquired on it to anyone. He supposed things worked out the way they did for a good reason.

His room was upstairs, at the end of a wide balcony. His was not the only room in the small upstairs portion of his house- there was also his parent's, Anna's, and two other rooms that were split between his four brothers.

He had never been in his parent's bedroom, and only in Anna's once or twice, because his father sent him. He had, however, been in his brothers' bedroom multiple times. They always had some secret to share with him, or some plan, or something of the sort. Or they just wanted him to referee their fights. His brothers were always fighting. He generally stayed out of it- they were like their own little group, and he hated intruding. He and Anna were like the two loners of the family. Most would think they would gang up together, but they were too different to be a team.

Sighing, he started down the stairs. It was grand staircase leading down into the main room- the large one with couches and coffee tables and bookshelves. The one you brought guests into to have a quick chat after supper.

When he reached the bottom, he was greeted by the sight of an empty room._Where is everyone?_

Well, Anna was probably in her room, getting ready. His father…well, he was probably at the jail house, considering he was the sheriff. His brothers? They were probably off doing something incredibly stupid and juvenile. His mother was gone- whether dead or disappeared, he didn't know. She was just a person no one ever talked about, as if she didn't even exist.

He was okay with that.

However, sometimes it did make him sad. Every once in a while, he would dream about a nice, black haired woman with sweet green eyes, hugging him and tucking him in when he was a kid.

But that was a dream, and dreams never came true, so he refused to dwell on it.

* * *

"Where are we going?" He asked, looking over to his sister, who was smiling stupidly, like she had won a million dollars. For her, this was probably like a million dollars- getting Cas out of the house, getting someone to go with her to town, being allowed to do what she wanted because someone would be there to take her home. He inwardly sighed. It was going to be a long night.

"We are going to a bar! I'm going to get you stupid drunk, and you're going to have fun. I'm going to stick a smile on your face!" She said, elbowing him in the side. He grunted at the light pain, but did nothing to retaliate.

They were walking into town, since their house wasn't very far. A few twists and turns and you were right there. The dirt road under his feet bothered him, though. He was regularly dodging mud puddles and patches that looked suspiciously dusty. He really didn't want to get his shoes all dirty before he even had a chance to get into to town.

The cowboy hat his sister had picked out from him shielded his eyes from the setting sun above them, which was nice. However, he hated the hat. It was white, with a long blue feather sticking out from one side. He thought it looked too…frilly. But his sister asked him to wear it, just like the waistcoat, so he did.

As they passed the first building into town, the tailor's shop, he took the hat off. He wouldn't need it much longer, anyways. He held it behind his back with two hands, continuing his strolling.

When they passed the bank, Anna saw one of her friends, waving at the girl. She turned from Cas, to her friend, then back to Cas.

"Cassy? Go to the bar. Stay there. No drinking until I get there. I mean it!" She said, narrowing her eyes playfully. He nodded and continued walking.

Castiel didn't really like this town. It was small, and only had the basics- a bank, the doctor, barber, tailor, and a bar. Then, on the very other side of town from him, there were a few houses for the people who actually stayed there.

It was mostly a passing-through town, though. Anna said she liked it, since she always got to meet new people, but Cas disagreed. Making a new friend, just to have them move away? It was just depressing. Although, how would he know? He didn't really have any friends. He stayed in most of the time, except to run errands for his dad. Plus, he really didn't see the point in friends. They seemed like a nuisance, to him.

"Whoa! Stop." Someone said, startling him out of his thoughts. He looked to the person who spoke, who was waving at him as he sealed up the side bag on his horse and grabbed a blanket. He threw the blanket over his shoulder, running over towards Cas.

"Howdy!" He said, a smile on his lips that was just barely there, but still made all the difference.

Castiel found that smile interesting.

"Hello." He answered. He figured there was no harm- he could judge by the man's clothes he was a cowboy, herder, probably. His blond hair stuck up in the front, the rest covered by a black cowboy's hat that further proved his theory. The stalk of wheat that hung from his pouty lips went to make him completely positive.

He was wearing a white shirt, the long sleeves pushed up to the elbows haphazardly. Cas noticed that they were a brown color at the end- he guessed they were pushed up to keep them from getting dirtier. At least that wasn't a problem with the brown vest that was over the white shirt- it wouldn't show dirt. Neither would the pants, which were just a little darker brown. Finally, he had on black leather cowboy boots- no spurs. Which, most of the time, meant he didn't like hurting his horse. For some reason, that was endearing.

"So do you norm'ly just stare at people when they try to figure out your name?" The cowboy asked, raising his eyebrows. Cas tilted his head in the slightest of ways, to signal he had acknowledged the statement.

"No, actually. I normally just ignore people who try to learn my name." He replied. The blonde looked at him, as if he was expecting Cas to be kidding. When he realized that there would be no smile or laugh after the statement, he chuckled, slapping Cas on the back.

"You know what? You're a dick. I like that. M'names Dean." Castiel frowned. That was strange. Most people didn't like him because he was so cold. Most people didn't like him at all.

He silently decided that Dean was crazy.

He wondered if Dean was thinking the same about him.

He broke out of his thoughts as he felt a hand on his chest. He looked at the hand, then up the arm, the shoulder, and the neck, to see Dean looking at him. The boy flicked his –amazingly, not that Cas would say or admit that they were- green eyes to the ground, and Cas looked down. There was a huge mud puddle in front of them, and Castiel had almost walked straight into it.

Silently, he started to walk around it, but Dean grabbed the tails of his waistcoat, pulling him back.

"Wha-?" He began, but stopped, because Dean was bending down, placing the green and brown horse blanket in front of his feet. Dean looked up, his lips curving into a smile.

"Are you gonna take up my kind offer and cross, or just stand there?" He said, chuckling. The stalk of wheat sticking out from his lips quivered as he laughed, and Cas stared at it for a moment, before furrowing his brows.

"Why can't I walk around? It's much simpler." He said, and this brought another chuckle from the cowboy.

"Because, men are supposed to treat ladies with respect." Castiel sensed sarcasm, and yet, the twinkle in Dean's eyes made him think that maybe it wasn't a total joke.

Or maybe he was just imagining things.

"Well…thank you, I think. But I assure you that's completely unnecessary." He said, and Dean just smiled wider.

"Awh, nonsense! Wouldn't want to get them pretty shoes all dirty, would we?" He replied, and Cas looked down at his shoes. He really didn't want to get them dirty. And walking across the blanket wouldn't hurt anyone- in fact, it seemed as though it would make Dean happy. He wasn't sure why he cared if Dean was happy, but something in him inexplicably did.

So, he walked across the blanket, throwing a huffy look at Dean over his shoulder. Dean got up, looking down at the blanket with a huge smile on his face. He shook it off and folded it, placing it back over his shoulder. He silently walked up to Castiel, their noses almost touching. Cas wondered if it was normal for people to stand this close. He didn't think so. But he knew nothing of social standards and personal space. If Dean was comfortable, so was he. He looked up into Dean's green, green eyes, feeling a chill run down his spine. That was weird.

"You never told me what your name was." He said, smile still on his face. His breath smelled like mint. It was warm, and tickled Castiel's lips. This was also a strange sensation.

Cas slid his eye's down, noticing the freckles on Dean's face, now that he was closer. He wondered how many of them there were. After that, he wondered why he cared.

"My name is Castiel." He finally said, looking back up into green eyes. Dean tilted his head, as if he was thinking, then stepped back, extending a hand.

"You have a strange name, but I like it. Now, we should formally shake, like gentlemen." Dean had a smirk, now, his lips tilting to one side more than the other. He looked from Cas's face down to his hand, as if trying to tell him to shake. It took him a second, but Castiel finally realized what he was supposed to do and shook his hand, noticing how rough and firm Dean's hands were compared to his. His own long fingered, slim, well-taken-care-of hands seemed to slip inside of Dean's. He kind of liked it.

"You can let go of me now, y'know." Dean said, and Castiel jerked his hand away, feeling embarrassed. Dean smiled at him, shaking his head in that what-will-I-do-with-this-idiot way.

"I'm sorry. I don't have any friends." Cas said, and Dean raised an eyebrow.

"No friends, huh? I don't usually learn that kind of stuff till the fourth date, but hey. That's cool too." Dean smiled again at his own joke, and Castiel decided that Dean was a very smiley man. His brother Gabriel was kind of like that, when he wasn't upset.

"I guess we're just going to have to become friends over drinks, buddy." Dean said, slinging an arm over his shoulder and steering him to the bar. Castiel decided he also liked the feeling of Dean's arm around him.

He wanted it to stay there.

He'd never wanted anything more.

* * *

"Cas! Don't be afraid! Just drink the damn whisky!" Dean slapped the smaller man on the back. Cas shook his head, staring at the pitcher of whisky Dean had pushed towards him.

"I promised my sister I'd wait for her. She said not to drink."

"Don't be a bitch! You can drink without her permission. She doesn't own you." Dean said, pushing it towards him again. Cas slowly battled with himself- either he defied his sister for this almost stranger that he really liked, or he made Dean upset and made his sister happy…

"Fine." He said, picking it up. He took a big sip, hearing a 'hell yeah!' from Dean as he took it.

He set it down, coking a little. It took a few tries, but he finally swallowed it, taking a huge breath afterwards. He coughed, the burn in his throat almost unbearable. He wiped the tears from his eyes, looking up at Dean, who was laughing heartily, slapping his knee.

"Was it...ahaha...was it good, Cas?" He asked, wiping tears of his own from his eyes. Although Cas assumed they were from different things.

"It was terrible. My throat hurts. Why do you drink this?" He asked, staring angrily at the pitcher before him. Dean chuckled a bit more, before lightly punching Castiel on the shoulder.

"That wasn't even bad, Cas. I've tasted something that is like straight horse piss, or worse. You try that, and you'll be begging for whisky." He said, and Castiel wrinkled his nose.

"I don't see the point in drinking, Dean. It seems like it's no fun." Dean just winked at him.

"The fun part isn't the drinking. The fun part is watching other people drink. Some people are hilarious drunks, Cas. And when you find those people? You can laugh for hours. And they'll laugh with ya, cause they don't know what's going on."

"That just sounds rude. Why would we laugh at the intoxicated?" Cas knitted his eyebrow. Dean shook his head, sighing.

"Cas, you need to get out more. Trust me. You laugh at them, or they will laugh at you." He said.

Castiel watched as Dean ordered another drink, gulping it down in a couple of swallows.

When he looked at Dean, he felt an odd tickle in his chest, one that made him feel…fuzzy, for lack of better word. He looked down at his own chest, confused. He had never felt that before today. He didn't understand why his body was behaving so funnily, all of the sudden.

Dean turned towards him, a huge smile on his lips, and Castiel felt his heart speed ever-so-slightly. He gasped, looking from his heart to Dean, his eyes widening.

"What's wrong, Cas? You look freaked out." Dean said, his face showing hints of worry._ He's worried about me. _This thought made Castiel's heart skip a beat, and he put a hand over his chest.

"I think I'm having a heart attack!" He said, staring up at Dean, who instantly leaned in closer.

"Let me feel. Does your chest hurt any? Feeling short of breath?" Dean asked, moving Castiel's hand from his chest and replacing it with one of his own.

He sat for a second, feeling the rhythm of his heart, then put an ear to it, listening.

Having Dean that close to him did something funny to his body, and his emotions. He wasn't sure what it was. He felt as though he just wanted to hold Dean closer, and push him away. He felt his heart race, and his thoughts go from one thing to another- all of which involved himself and Dean. His mind stopped on one, though. Himself and Dean, kissing. For some reason, this was what his body wanted to do.

However, he didn't. He ignored his thoughts. Because he knew what they meant. He had never felt them before, but he had read books about them.

Those feelings were classic signs of attraction. Something which he should not feel towards a man. Especially a man he had only met a few hours ago. A man who had been eying one of the women in the bar a few minutes before he had forced Castiel to drink.

He shook his head, pushing Dean away.

"I'm fine. I just got confused." He said, and Dean looked at him funnily.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I should go." He said, and got up to leave without thinking. He knew he was supposed to wait for Anna, and he knew it was rude to just leave someone behind like that- especially someone who had been so nice and forthcoming. But he didn't think it would be smart to stay any longer.

As he left, he heard Dean call his name, and the thud of boots hitting the ground. He didn't stop, though, just kept walking. He ignored it was Dean called his name once more, then just gave up, cursing at him.

Because he had decided he wasn't going to be around someone who caused such emotions in him. He didn't like feeling those things.

He decided that Dean was a distraction from his duties. And he couldn't afford any distractions.


	2. Men Like Him

_Just a quick author's note here-  
I'm so sorry for the wait. Real life got in my way, and I haven't been able to keep my mind in one place. I lost interest in the story, then found it again.  
I hope it's an alright chapter, I'll do my best to make the next fantastic! ;w;  
And once again, a big thanks to my wonderful beta, Maestus, who fixed my many, many errors._

-x-x-x-x-x-

_Click. Click click click._

_Squeak._

_Click click click._

_Slam._

"What the hell, Cas?"

Castiel opens his eyes and rises from his bed, looking up at his sister, who was standing by his door. He had gone to sleep after getting home from the bar, and had gotten in two hours before the interruption- not nearly enough.

"What do you mean?" He asks, and looks up at his sister.

"You ditched me! You went home instead of staying at the bar!"

"I'm sorry." He answers, and lies back down.

"That's it? Just an 'I'm sorry'? I expect more of an explanation than that, Cas. What happened? Why did you leave?"

He groans, shaking his head.

He was not going to think of Dean. He would not think of cowboys in general. Distractions were bad: very, very bad.

"It doesn't matter." He answers and Anna sits down on the edge of his bed, slapping his leg.

"Seriously: tell me, Cas." He shakes his head in response, and she grabs his shoulders, sitting him up with a strength he didn't realize she had.

"Tell me!" She commands again, and he sighs because he knows he can't refuse her.

"I _was_ going to wait but I met this guy who took me there anyway. We drank, I went home, the end." He says, and she makes this little squeal noise and grabs his cheeks.

"You made a friend! That's so cute, Cassy! Tell me more about him!" She says, a huge smile on her face.

"I don't know, Anna: I really don't want to talk about it. And he's not my friend. In fact, I don't plan on seeing him again." Her smile falters, her eyebrows knitting.

"Why not? Did something happen; was he mean to you? If he was, I'll get Gabe to tear him apart. Or maybe Zach.: he's intimidating."

They had four brothers- Michael, Lucifer, Raphael and Gabriel. Michael was very obedient, doing everything their father said. He was smart, hardworking, and did what needed to be done in order to make their father happy. Lucifer was a bit younger than Mike, and he loved their dad- loved him dearly. But their father never really liked Lucifer, and their views conflicted a lot which caused Lucifer to be a bit of a rebel, doing everything their father said not to do. He was usually shunned amongst their family.

Raphael was a bit of a bully, but didn't really bother anyone, spending most of his time playing baseball with Gabriel and doing whatever their father asked of him. Gabriel did most of what their father said, but slacked off more than the rest of them. He also had a huge sweet tooth, and had a million stashes of candy around their giant house. He was fantastic at baseball, and had regular matches with Raphael which resulted in countless broken windows across the house, much to their father's annoyance.

They also had six cousins, one of which was named Zachariah. Zach spent a lot of time at their house, checking in with their father and making sure everything was alright with them. He was creepy, in Anna's opinion. Castiel thought he was cruel (and Gabriel could vouch for that; he had gotten slapped many times for his 'rude behavior'.)

"No, Anna, nothing like that. I'm fine. He was very nice: I just don't want any friends. And he was a cowboy; he'll probably be gone and out of town soon, anyways."

His sister shakes her head, standing up.

"I don't understand you, Cas, not at all."

"I don't understand you, either." He says, and they both smile, because in reality, they understand each other more than anyone else could understand them. She finally steps out of the room, allowing him to lie back down and doze off again.

-x-x-x-x-x-

"Castiel, introduce yourself to me." His father says and Castiel groans. He hates French and thought it stupid and useless, especially considering he doesn't plan on visiting France. But his father was insistent on him learning it. So insistent, in fact, that he made Castiel come with him to the jailhouse and practice it (along with his other subjects). He doesn't like being at the jailhouse- the men behind bars there bothered him, and made fun of him. Plus, it smelled like pee, and puke, and sweat. That coupled with the fact that his father was very intimidating, and the man insisted on leaning over his shoulder and watching him work the whole time...well, it was very nerve-wracking.

"Bonjour. Je m'appelle Castiel. Je suis Américain." He says, and his father nods, and points to his notebook.

"Continue your lesson." He says, and Castiel obeys silently.

He works on his lesson for a good fifteen minutes before the door to the jail swings open, and the deputy, Jody Mills (who was both looked down upon for being a woman and looked up to for being so damn good at her job) walks in, grabbing someone by their shoulder and leading them in.

Castiel realizes all too late who the person is, as the man's eyebrows raise in recognition and his lips pull into a smile.

"Hey! Cas! What's going on, buddy?" Dean asks, his smile making Castiel's stomach feel flippy, which he doesn't like. Cas's father looks between the two, his eyebrows knitting.

"Castiel, do you know this man?" Jody asks, and Castiel looks at Dean, then at Jody, then his father and then back to Dean. He shakes his head no.

Dean frowns then stumbles as Jody pushes him a little.

"So what is he here for?" asks Castiel's father, and Jody shakes her head.

"He was being very…promiscuous with his gun."

"That's not the only thing I was being promiscuous with, honey." Dean says, smiling at Jody in a way that Castiel finds himself wishing Dean would smile at him. The deputy rolls her eyes at Dean's comment and shoves him in a cell.

"Have you heard anything from Mr. Grantum about the cows?" Jody asks.

"No, not yet. I assume we'll have to go out there ourselves and take care of it." Castiel's father says, and Jody shrugs.

"I'm ready whenever you are, Sheriff."

"Then we can go now." He says.

Then he turns to Castiel, fixing him with a look that says 'disobey and you will be punished. "Castiel, finish your lesson. If you finish before I get back, clean the first and second cell. Make sure the heathen stays." He vaguely gestures to Dean, who makes a face.

As soon as his father finished the sentence he was gone, leaving Castiel in the jailhouse.

With Dean.

The distraction he had been hoping to stay away from.

Damn.

"Honestly Cas, I don't see what you're so scared of." Dean says, and Castiel shakes his head.

"You don't understand, Dean; you haven't lived my life. You don't know my father."

"Yeah, but still, he don't look all that scary." Dean rolls his eyes, and Castiel feels a smile threatening his lips, because Dean seemed to make him really want to smile all the time.

To the cowboy's credit, he hadn't asked why Castiel had randomly ran out on him- much to Cas's relief. After Cas had finished his work, Dean had started a conversation which Castiel allowed himself to be reluctantly pulled into. He had even walked over by Dean's cell, pulling a chair up for himself. From then on they had joked and talked for what seemed like hours, though it could have only been thirty minutes, at the most.

"You want to know something, Cas?" Dean says, his expression suddenly sober. Castiel nods, staring at him intently.

"I've only known you for a week. And I only talked to you one day out of that time. But it...I don't know. It feels like I've known you forever. Y'know?" Dean asks, searching Castiel's face.

"I understand what you mean. You are very easy to talk to."

Suddenly Dean starts smiling, smiling in a brilliant way where all of his teeth are showing and his eyes are all scrunched at the corners. And Cas can't help but smile in return, a true, sweet smile that he had never felt come to his lips before. And then they're laughing, laughing so hard that they're teared up and they have to rest their foreheads against the bars of Dean's cell for support.

After Castiel catches his breath, he looks up, realizing just how close he is to Dean. Close enough to see the green and yellow perfection of Dean's eyes, and see just how pink his lips were, and the slight tan line on his forehead from his hat's shade, and the messy lines of home-cut blonde hair.

He feels a breath slowly shudder out of him, knowing that he's close enough that it would brush Dean's face. Dean's eyes search him once again, as if he could find the secrets to the world in Castiel's face.

"Cas, I-" Dean starts, but is cut off abruptly by the sound of a door opening.

Cas jerks away quickly, getting up as fast as possible. Dean backs away from the bars of the cell, though his gaze never leaves Cas.

"What's going on, Castiel?" His father asks, and Dean clears his throat.

"It's all my fault: I was tryin' to convince him to let me outta here. Y'see, I have things to do at my uncle's farm and I really need'ta go."

"Castiel, I need a word with you." His father says, and Castiel hangs his head, walking over to him.

"Father, I-"

"Castiel, I want you to listen very carefully. You will not associate with men like him. He is bad news. He will drag you down and he will make you do things you could never imagine. You have to stay away from people like him, Castiel: they distract you from things you need to do."

"Yes, father."

"If I hear about you seeing him again, there will be consequences."

"Yes, father."

"Good." His father turns towards Jody.

"Escort him back to his uncle's farm, wherever it may be. Make sure he doesn't get in any more trouble."

It is exactly fifteen and a half days before Castiel sees Dean again.


	3. Fixed Course (With a Variable)

So, for anyone following this story, you would know that I decided to stop writing, since I was bored with the story. Well, we all have the wonderful** ElianLuna **to thank for this whole chapter. Not only did she give me the idea (and therefore the encouragement) to write this chapter, but she also said nice things to stroke my delicate author's ego, and beta'd it for me as well. So everyone go say think you to her and her awesomeness, and check out her fanfics while you're there, because she's amazing.

Um, also, I write Dean's voice as it would sound. It's not because I'm stupid and can't spell. Just throwing that out there. Oh, and..enjoy.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Castiel was a person who could appreciate structure. In fact, he loved it. Having routines and plans made him feel safe and secure. To be told what he needed to do was good for him. He would never think of rebelling against a plan, like Lucifer did, or grumbling and complaining, like Gabriel. He took what he was supposed to do and held it close to him, like a security blanket. It gave him a purpose- a meaning even, and that was what he needed.

The thing about Anna was that she was a variable he never anticipated. He never even thought to anticipate her, or make a plan B. So when she barged in on his life and asked him to do things, he couldn't do anything but follow along, stunned, and hope to return to the ways of his fixed course soon.

He found that Dean had the same quality.

-x-x-x-x-x-

His father told him to stay home and study, because his tutor was supposed to check his lessons the next day. This plan, of course, was ruined by Anna, who demanded his accompaniment to town. She wanted to buy a new dress, and according to her he had to come along- it was the only way she could go.

He didn't argue, just put on presentable clothes (white shirt, black vest, black pants) and followed behind her as she walked. She was chattering away, talking about how the newest fashions were in from France, and how much she'd been looking forward to them reaching their town. He nodded when it seemed appropriate, trying to keep up, but ending up lost anyways.

She turned an eye on him, and frowned. "Are you paying attention, Castiel?"

"Yes, of course, Anna." He answered, trying to be convincing. She sighed, rolling her eyes, but kept walking.

"So have you seen any more of your new cowboy friend?" She asked, in a voice he recognised as her 'gossip voice'.

He paused, his heart skipping a beat at the simple mention of Dean. Of course, there were also the images of the cowboy that his brain helpfully supplied him with to speed his pulse. Castiel raised a hand to his chest, breathing slowly, trying to calm his heart down. He really couldn't deal with this happening every time he thought of Dean. It was stupid. He wasn't attracted to Dean. That wasn't how it worked. He couldn't be- Dean was a man, one who was not only unattainable, but also not allowed. His father would be furious if he even thought to pursue some sort of romantic relationship with the cowboy.

So Dean could take his freckles, his beautiful green eyes, his perfect masculine features and his soft-looking hair and leave town, for all Castiel cared. Which wasn't a true statement at all, of course, because the thought of Dean leaving made his heart ache a little, but he had to tell himselfthat it would be better for him if he did**. **

He shook his head, lowering his hand and schooling his features, which were stormy at best. She noticed it, though, because she's Anna and she noticed everything.

"Maybe we'll see him in town today, Cassy. Don't worry about it." She said, smiling and ruffling his hair.

"Father says I am not allowed to talk to Dean anymore. He said that Dean is a bad influence." He answered, pushing her hand away from his head.

"Who cares what Dad says, Castiel? You should do whatever makes you happy." She said, then stopped, grabbing his arm and pulling him to the side as a group of men on horses went past them.

"Listen Cassy. I know you like to listen to everything Dad says, and that's great and all, but you need to be your own person. If you want to talk to Cowboy Bar Guy, then do it. I promise not to tell. You need a friend." She smiled a little, lifting her eyebrows, and he nodded, looking down. Content, she linked their arms together and continued walking.

-x-x-x-x-x-

"Castiel, what do you think of this one?" Anna asked, holding a dress in front of herself and twirling around. Castiel glanced up, then shrugged. Dress shopping was something he may never understand.

"It is just like the other eight pink ones you showed me, Anna." He answered, and she glared at him.

"This one is peach Cassy. It's a different color entirely." She huffed and went back to looking.

"I am going to go out and get some air, Anna. Maybe visit my tutor and see if he has any new books. I will be back in a few hours, okay?" He said, and Anna poked her head out from behind all the racks of dresses and eyed him suspiciously.

"You won't abandon me again, will you?" She asked, and he shook his head, smiling faintly. "Fine, fine. Go and have fun. See you in a few hours."

The fresh, dress-free air was a blessing, indeed. He loved his sister, got along with her better than any of their other siblings, and he would follow her anywhere- but spending time shopping with her was one thing he dreaded more than anything.

Looking around, he set a course for his tutor's house, hoping that the man had new books. He enjoyed good books, and was thankful that his tutor got such a frequent shipment of them to keep up with Castiel's hunger for reading. The words fascinated him, and the stories kept him enthralled. Getting a new book was the best possible feeling in the world.

His excitement is interrupted, though, when his eyes drift over and catch those of Dean Winchester. His heart seemed to migrate and find its new home in his throat as he stared, unable to look away. A smile stretched slowly across Dean's face, and Castiel focused his eyes on the ground, walking quicker towards his tutor's house pretending he hadn't seen the cowboy. He couldn't talk to Dean- couldn't even afford to pay him any attention. His dad told him specifically not to associate with Dean, and he wouldn't.

He heard a voice cry out his name behind him, and he continued walking, determined to pretend Dean didn't exist. If he ignored Dean, he would go away. It was simple logic.

Logic that was quickly defeated as a large hand landed on his shoulder, holding him back. He quickly jerked his shoulder out of Dean's grip, walking as if nothing happened.

"Cas! What's wrong with you? Why're you actin' like I'm not here?" Dean asked, his voice making Castiel's skin prickle.

Castiel continued walking as if Dean wasn't there, his tutor's street in view. Behind him, Dean made a frustrated noise and grabbed at his wrist, which Castiel was quick to jerk out of Dean's grip.

"Dammit, Cas! What is it? I haven't seen you in a coupl'a weeks, and you're ignorin' me? Come on!" Dean sounded upset, and that tugged at something in Castiel's chest.

"Dean, I am not allowed to talk to you. You are a bad influence." Castiel answered, and Dean snorted. Castiel silently cursed himself for giving into Dean, but quickly resolved that talking to him couldn't do much damage (right?).

"An' who told'ya that, Cas? I'm a great influence! I'm real' nice, and I work really hard, and I always treat a lady right!" Dean said, and looked over at Castiel with a giant grin on his face. Castiel fought back his own smile and shook his head.

"Dean, I do not have time to talk to you. I have things to do. Go and finish whatever task you came into town to accomplish." He waved Dean off, then stopped at the road he knew was his tutors, turning to look at Dean. The cowboy frowned, eyebrows knitted.

"I think I'm just gonna stick with you, Cas. I don't have much'ta do anyways." Dean said, huffing, and followed Castiel as he walked towards his tutor's house.

"Dean, you cannot come with me. You should leave." He answered, then stopped, pointing to the house that belonged to his tutor. "I am going to go into this house. When I come back out, I want you to be gone."

"And if I'm not?" Dean asked stubbornly, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"I suppose we will figure that out if we come to that." Castiel responded.

They came upon the quaint house that belonged to the man who tutored Castiel, and he knocked on the door, hoping Dean would leave as soon as he stepped inside.

"You know, Cas, I don't really wanna leave you alone. You're an interestin' little fella, y'know? I travel a lot, but I've never met someone just like you." Dean said, and Castiel felt his pulse rise once again, because how could Dean say something like that to him? How could Dean be totally okay with doing what he was doing to Castiel? It really wasn't fair. In fact, it probably wasn't legal, and Castiel could probably talk to his dad about this, or in the least to one of his brothers-

The door in front of him opened, and his tutor stood there, combed over black hair, stomach bulge, creepy mustache, and all.

"Come in, Mister Novak." The man said, and Castiel spared once glance at Dean before stepping inside, half hoping Dean wouldn't be there when he left but also half praying that he would be.

-x-x-x-x-x-

When he left his tutor's, he had four new books, plus a whole new lesson to study, and a message to give to his father. He was trying to juggle all these things when he came across Dean again, who was standing at the end of the street, waiting.

"Need some help, Cas?" He asked, smiling. Castiel managed a glare over his stack of books.

"No, Dean, I do not need any help from you. Why are you not gone?" Instead of answering his question, Dean grabbed three books off of Castiel's pile, ignoring his protests.

"I told you to leave. I still willnot be your friend." Castiel said, and Dean shrugged in response, walking alongside him.

"I don't care if you're not my friend, Cas. I'm gonna be your friend, though." Castiel sighed, clenching his jaw and deciding to ignore Dean again. Town was only a little while away- all he'd have to do was ignore Dean until he found Anna. Easy enough.

Except of course there was Dean walking beside him, talking his ear off. It seemed there wasn't even a need for him to talk, as long as Dean talked to him. That was bothersome.

He turned, facing Dean, cutting the cowboy off in the middle of a sentence.

"Dean, I am politely asking you to stop talking to me." Castiel told him, but this just made Dean laugh.

"Not gonna happen, Cas. Sorry." He replied.

"This is not a laughing matter, Dean. My father will be very disappointed if he knows I have been talking to you."

Dean rolled his eyes, huffing a little. "I don't much care 'bout what your dad wants, Cas. Y'know, it's okay to break the rules every once and a while. Rebellion is good for the soul."

"You do not understand, Dean." Castiel responds, because Dean doesn't- not really. Castiel's father has been a guiding force for himhis whole life. Someone who would tell him what to do and when to do it. His father made him into the person he was. He couldn't simply ignore his orders. It didn't work that way, no matter what his siblings or Dean said.

"Explain it to me, then. Explain to me how it is." Dean said, his voice taking on an angry tone that made Castiel bristle as well. It wasn't fair that Dean was mad at him, because this wasn't his fault.

"I do not need to associate with people that might be bad for me, Dean! And you are bad for me!" Castiel knew his own voice was sounding angry, raising in volume, which would only spur a fight on. He had experience, he saw how his brothers' arguments escalated. He tried to calm down, but it was difficult, with Dean just standing there, and his hormones doing strange things, and his heart speeding. He couldn't deal with this.

"How am I bad for you? That doesn't even make sense, Cas! I haven't done anything to make you think that!"

"I will not argue with you Dean. It is stupid to rebel against rules put down for my own safety."

Dean makes a scoffing sound, rolling his eyes. "Oh, so now I'm unsafe too? Whatever, Cas. You have fun with that bullshit."

"Castiel! Who's that?" Both men turned towards the source of the voice, which happened to be Anna. Castiel sighed, because he definitely didn't want Anna to meet Dean. He knew it wouldn't go well for him. Before he could say anything, though, Dean stepped forwards, holding out his hand to Anna.

"Howdy, ma'am. My name is Dean Winchester. It's nice to meetcha." Dean said, and Anna took his hand, shaking it and smiling sweetly.

"How do you know my little brother, Dean?" She asked, and Castiel stepped between them, grabbing Anna's shoulder and trying to steer her away from Dean.

"It is not of import, Anna. We should go." He said, but she resisted him, giving him a glare that could probably kill those weaker of spirit than he was.

"Cassy, don't be rude! I want to know why you two were arguing!"

Castiel leaned over, saying under his breath, "This is the man from the bar, Anna."

She smiled gleefully grabbing Castiel's arm tightly.

"You know what I think? We should all go and drink!" She said, turning and raising an eyebrow at Dean. The cowboy smiled as well, laughing.

"You, ma'am, are a woman that's after my own heart."

-x-x-x-x-x-

Castiel wished he wasn't so helpless against his Anna's wishes. He could hardly stand sitting at the bar with his sister and Dean, listening to them talk and laugh together, getting along better than Castiel had ever gotten along with either of them. He looked over at them, and felt something in his chest twinge.

He knew it was selfish, wishing Anna and Dean hadn't met. It wasn't really rational, either. He had been pushing Dean away, so it wasn't fair that he wanted to keep Dean to himself.

That didn't stop him from wishing, though.

"Hey, Cassy, remember that time Gabe hit Michael in the back of the head with a baseball, and Mike threw that massive tantrum?" Anna asked him, giggling, and Castiel nodded. This seemed to be all the input Anna needed from him, because they go on talking, not paying another bit of attention to him.

He looked at Dean, eyes training on the flash of teeth as he smiled, or the bob of his adam's apple as he drank and laughed. From an objective standpoint, Castiel thought Dean was a very handsome man. He thought that many women would be attracted to someone like Dean, just as Anna was.

From a subjective standpoint, though, he knew Dean was handsome. He knew that he, even, was attracted to him. He also knew that admitting that attraction to someone else was something he could never do. He decided, then, in that bar, watching Dean laugh and smile and flirt with his sister, that he would hold whatever he felt for Dean close to himself and never, ever act on it.

That being said, he still hated watching Anna and Dean together. He felt the tendrils of jealousy wrapping themselves around his heart, and he couldn't help it. To know he wanted who he wanted, and to know that person wanted someone else hurt.

He curled a hand around the edge of his seat, their laughter like nails pounding into his heart.

He couldn't do this.

"I have to go." He said loudly, getting up and practically running out the door.

The cold night air hit him in the face, and he didn't stop walking until he was home.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Dean watched as Castiel left, getting up from his seat, ready to follow him out. Before he could go, though, Anna's hand came to rest on his shoulder, holding him back. He looked at her, frowning.

"What's wrong with Cas?" He asked, and Anna sighed, shaking her head.

"Cassy is very conflicted about you, Dean. He doesn't know what to do." She answered. Dean didn't understand, not really, because what was there to be conflicted about when it came to him?

Before he could ask her, she held up a hand. "Let me tell you about my little brother, Dean. Maybe then you'll understand." Dean nodded and sat back down.

"We have four older siblings, Castiel and I. All of them are boys, and all of them are wonderful in their own ways. But as our brothers grew, they all failed our father in one way or another. Michael was too prideful, Lucifer was too rebellious, Raphael too violent, and Gabriel wasn't serious enough. None of them lived up to what our father wanted out of his son. He wanted a smart, level-headed child who wasn't corrupted by other people, or his own downfalls. When I was born, I was useless, of course. I'm a girl- I can't do much. So he tried once more, and he got Castiel."

"Cassy was always...special to our father. Dad held him closest, trying to keep the rest of us away from him. Our father payed for tutors to make him smarter, and gave him the harshest punishments any of us ever had. So Castiel was to be the obedient, perfect son our father wanted. That being said, it should be obvious that Cassy hasn't had very many friends. Our father wouldn't let him talk to people that came through town, and Castiel never really wanted to. He preferred to stay away from other people. It was only recently that I even got him to come out and about with me. "

"Meeting you must have really shocked him, Dean. He doesn't usually make friends. In fact, I'm surprised he even talked to you at all. Normally he ignores anyone who tries to get his attention."

"He's doin' an awful good job of ignorin' me now." Dean interrupted, to which Anna rolled her eyes.

"That's not his fault, Dean. Our father is very protective of Cassy. He told him to avoid you. Our dad think cowboys are mostly bad, and that it's best to avoid them. Personally, I think it's ridiculous, but Castiel would listen to anything our dad told him. You just have to prove that you're not bad. Make him think our dad's wrong." She said, smiling and resting a hand on his arm.

"How do I do that?" Dean asked, confused once again.

"That's something you've got to figure out for yourself."


End file.
